The Brotherhood

Balancing time commitments while on the quarter system at UCLA is kind of like throwing a brick into a washing machine—for the first few moments, everything is just a bit wobbly, but after a couple more seconds, everything is just on fire.

Brothers were finding they had to devote more time to a technically demanding field show, more time to rigorous classes, and more time to destress and relax. Everything was happening all at once. The cards were stacked against Psi Chapter, and almost every metric suggested there would be no time for activities and quality bonding.

A big, foreboding question reared its ugly head: With so much happening and so little time, would we find time for each other?

We did.

Even amidst countless obligations, brothers took the time to hang out and engage in worthwhile social interactions. Brothers wanted to actively be a part of meeting—just from surveying the room, an overwhelming majority of brothers were looking up from their laptops, asking meaningful questions, and participating in thoughtful discussions. After each meeting, the smattering of brothers making the pilgrimage across campus talked about their lives and offered a warm embrace for those who needed it.

Every Monday before meeting, brothers flocked to the Young Research Library to study for their classes and destress. We found time to eat food together, and even do arts-and-crafts fit for kindergartener and college-student alike.

One day after particularly draining band rehearsal, twenty-sevenbrothers took a walk down to Pieology (in an event termed “PSI-ology”)[1]. We ate pizza together, sharing stories and laughing so hard that, for a moment, our worries seemed to float away into the dusky sky.

Historically speaking, Fall Quarter is difficult. Conflicting time commitments and grueling rehearsals contribute to people feeling like they’re being pulled from both ends. While Psi, this quarter, was not what you might traditionally define as eventful—it was (as the hip kids say) “chill”—just what chapter needed to get a firm footing for future quarters.

We’re getting into a groove. A lot of things seemed to just go right this quarter.

That’s not to say there’s no room for improvement; as many of you actual adults know, there’s always room for improvement. Maybe that’s one of the best parts about Psi (and life, too)—there’s always more to do, more people to bring together, more memories to form with each other.

And we’ve got a lot more to do.

As some guy once said somewhere, “Winter [quarter] is coming.” A fresh, new group of candidates are coming in next quarter, brotherhood is on the rise, and things, in general, are looking up. While the original quote is foreboding and worried, we couldn’t be more excited for all of the great things to come.